


Black Cats Could Be Good Luck Too

by ninitails



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Cats and Kittens, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:46:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26497366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninitails/pseuds/ninitails
Summary: Detached from his friends and having no interest in romantic relationships, Jongdae thinks that his two cats can be described as his entire world. That is, until he finds a piece of him he didn't know was missing.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen
Comments: 20
Kudos: 89
Collections: Shall we Chen? Fictional Fest First Round





	Black Cats Could Be Good Luck Too

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt SWC419: Jongdae stumbles upon a cardboard box of abandoned newborn kittens and decides to find them loving homes since he's unable to take them in himself because he already has one or two older cats at home. As time goes on, he finds himself bonding with the person who adopts the last kitten.

The gentle sound of rain provides a certain comfort that only a few things in the universe can replicate. Listening to the faraway noise of the train tracks, sitting warm inside when it’s storming outside, even the sounds that the ocean makes when the waves hit the shore and retreat back into the horizon.

Jongdae thinks it’s even better when he’s watching one of his cats press its soft paw against the cold window in an attempt to catch a droplet that’s rolling down the opposite side of the glass. It’s little things like that that fill his chest with the necessary warmth.

Neighbors had referred to him as a cat lady numerous times and it used to bother Jongdae quite a bit when he was younger and had no interest in finding a significant other to fill a gap he didn’t have. But nowadays, he just doesn’t care anymore. The only thing that hasn’t changed is that he still doesn’t want to share his apartment with anyone other than his two cats. And if that makes him a cat lady, then so be it.

Jongdae reaches his hand out and the grey cat that was sitting by the window immediately abandons its task of collecting rain drops in order to receive the gentle pats on its head that Jongdae’s hand so willingly provides.

The other cat, a cloud of white, really, remains asleep on the bed, its ears relaxed, unbothered by the weather outside. It barely even bats an eye when Jongdae’s phone starts vibrating against the wooden table.

“Jongdae—Holy cow, the kitten just threw up on my carpet and it—it looks like fur? Is it sick? What am I supposed to do?”

The voice he hears on the other side of the line is full of panic, but he doesn’t rush to provide reassurance.

Jongdae still remembers that rainy day when he was on his way home, carefully avoiding the bigger puddles on the ground, when he came across a cardboard box by the trash, getting soaked in the heavy downpour. He would’ve paid no mind to it due to its placement, but a series of hushed meows made him stop in his tracks and peek inside.

In one corner of the box, huddling all together for the last bits of warmth, sat five little kittens, barely able to peek their eyes open and look at their savior’s face. Four of them had slightly dirty white paws to complement their black fur and the last kitten was all black, unlike his siblings. Jongdae found himself adoring the last one the most as he carefully placed each one of them into his bag, hoping to provide some comfort to the scared bunch.

Already having two cats at home, he couldn’t afford to keep any of the kittens, but thanks to the power of social media and Jongdae’s skillfully taken pictures once the kittens were bathed and fed, most of them had found their new homes in just a week.

The black kitten stayed with him the longest, to the point where Jongdae had almost decided to keep him for himself until he got a call from a curious young adult with too many hobbies to name. He kept talking and talking about himself and his home and how he was going to be the best owner for the little fur friend that Jongdae barely held back the desire to tell him to shut up. He didn’t sound like a bad person at all. Jongdae just couldn’t keep up with all the babbling that he was sure to forget the next day.

Or so he thought.

The new cat owner insisted on staying in touch even after the adoption.

It was annoying at first, especially since Baekhyun, that was the man’s name, promised him over and over again to take great care of the kitten he was adopting, but later would call Jongdae at least twice a day to ask about something that a cat owner should know before adopting a kitten.

It would’ve been a problem if Jongdae wouldn’t have started to enjoy being asked questions about cat care. It also reassured him to be able to know how his favorite kitten was doing even after adoption.

“Calm down,” he chuckles into the speaker, amused by the situation at hand. “Cats clean themselves by licking their fur and they might throw up when too much fur ends up in their system. It’s nothing to panic about, Baekhyun.”

The heavy breathing stops and Jongdae’s smile stretches even more.

“I did not know that,” he hears Baekhyun sigh on the other side. “So, he’s fine? This is normal?”

“Yeah, nothing to worry about. Did you give him a name yet?”

“I’ve been calling him names—and don’t get me wrong, I mean, cute names. But he doesn’t seem to like any of them, so I’m not sure. I’ll keep looking for the perfect one.”

“I’m sure that if you just picked a name yourself and called him that on daily basis, he would get used to it and start reacting to it. You’re overthinking the whole thing,” a roll of eyes follows Jongdae’s words. It really can’t be that difficult to pick a name.

“No, that won’t do. He has to pick a name himself. I’m waiting for the signal.”

Jongdae decides that sometimes Baekhyun talks like an alien who has invaded this planet a few years ago and is still getting used to how things work in human society. He doesn’t know why he chooses to play along though.

“Well, call me when he finally gives you a signal. No, scratch that, you’re probably going to call me before that to ask about something else.”

It sounds like Baekhyun wants to say something, but refrains himself from doing so. There’s a long pause before he finally speaks up.

“Am I bothering you?”

And now Jongdae feels like an asshole for pointing out how often Baekhyun calls him for advice.

“No—sorry. I wanted to tease you. I didn’t mean to imply that you were disturbing me in any way.”

“Tease, huh,” Baekhyun laughs. “Looks like I can refer to you as a friend if we’re at the point of teasing each other.”

Friends.

Jongdae never really thought about it. He doesn’t know at what point an acquaintance becomes a friend, but he accepts Baekhyun’s judgement about it.

He probably stays quiet for too long, smiling to himself, because he hears the other bidding goodbye with a playful promise to call him later.

Jongdae puts the phone back on the bedside table and looks at the grey cat which has been staring at him throughout the entire phone call. He reaches out to ruffle its fur, gently moving its tiny head from side to side.

“Don’t judge me. I get excited about becoming friends with people too, Hissy.”

—

No matter how many weeks pass, Baekhyun never stops calling Jongdae to ask about the most trivial things. The only difference is that Jongdae doesn’t get annoyed when he hears his phone ring anymore. Quite the opposite, he even offers to tag along when Baekhyun decides that he needs more supplies for his growing kitten.

Today is one of those days. All excitement and bright smiles, Baekhyun drags Jongdae to a nearby pet shop to look for a fitting collar that he could secure around his kitten’s neck in case it ever decides to go outside instead of using the litter box at home.

Baekhyun also insists that it should be something flashy, so that people would be able to tell whose kitten it is without a second thought. Jongdae… isn’t sure if he agrees.

The furball is bigger now, probably getting spoiled by his new owner, but Jongdae doesn’t mind that one bit because the kitten purrs with such love and satisfaction whenever Baekhyun reaches out to scratch behind his ears that he just can’t question Baekhyun’s antics. The mutual love between the two is as clear as day.

Jongdae is startled when Baekhyun appears right in front of him, dangling various collars on each of his fingers. Absentmindedly, he takes notice of how long and petite those digits are. Baekhyun could easily be a pianist.

“What collars do your cats wear?”

“Uh, they don’t go outside,” Jongdae mumbles, squinting at the studded collar on Baekhyun’s ring finger. That probably belongs in the BDSM shop. “But they do have collars. Both of them are black and rather thin in size.”

Baekhyun hums and follows Jongdae’s eyes, raising an eyebrow. He opens his mouth like he’s about to ask whether Jongdae prefers the studded accessory, but Jongdae is one step ahead of him, tugging on a bright red band instead.

“Isn’t this flashy enough? Would go well with black fur too.”

“You think so?” Baekhyun nods in agreement and turns around, gracefully putting all the other collars back. “I was about to annoy you by saying that I’m waiting for the right signal again, but your mind seems to be floating in a different dimension. Is there something bothering you?”

Eyebrows knit together, Jongdae wonders just how obvious his facial expressions are. Perhaps he spends way too much time with cats who aren’t able to tell him those things.

“Nothing, I just…” He sighs, reaching out to take the red collar from Baekhyun’s hold. “Let me buy this as an apology. We can get milkshakes afterwards and I’ll tell you what I’m apologizing about.”

Jongdae is kind of relieved because Baekhyun doesn’t question him before he’s ready. He keeps his mouth shut as Jongdae pays for the collar and he doesn’t say a single word as Jongdae pushes him away from the milkshake stand, holding out money for both of their drinks.

They settle on a bench nearby, having picked one with less people walking around, and sip on their beverages in silence. Baekhyun is probably waiting for him to speak up and Jongdae braces himself for the awkward confession.

“I don’t spend much time with people,” he finally admits, refusing to look at his companion, but he can feel Baekhyun’s stare on him. “I guess you could say that I don’t like them and I wouldn’t deny that. I feel so awkward around others and end up embarrassing myself in one way or another. I’d rather avoid people than do something weird and drown in anxiety for a week later on.”

Jongdae turns to look when Baekhyun lets out a hum, the guy’s eyes set somewhere ahead of him.

“You’re not avoiding me,” he concludes simply. “You haven’t missed a single phone call from me.”

Shuddering slightly, Jongdae vaguely recalls running out of the bathroom with his pants pooled around his ankles just to pick up a call before it stopped ringing. Nobody needs to know about that. He keeps his mouth shut.

Sun tickles their skin gently as they sit silent for a moment, a drop of water rolling down the side of Baekhyun’s cup. Jongdae doesn’t know why his eyes are fixated on the drink instead of Baekhyun’s face.

“But.” The single word that leaves Baekhyun’s mouth cuts through the silence like a flash of lightning in the clouded sky. It’s sudden and it’s scary, but it also feels like it’s far away, unable to bring any harm to either of them. “You’re keeping your distance most of the time and I’m not sure whether to back off and let you stay in your comfortable bubble of silent sadness or gently coerce you out of it, so that you can start enjoying your life instead of simply existing and taking care of your cats.”

Jongdae is so speechless that he almost drops his drink. How could someone who’s known him for barely a few weeks already have him figured out like that? It took Jongdae years to realize and accept the fact that he was locked in a mental box.

It feels like time stops between them when Baekhyun reaches out and fixes a stray strand on Jongdae’s forehead, a wonderful smile dancing on his lips and nearly blinding Jongdae to death. Even if he wants to flinch away, it’s like he’s glued to the bench.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t want to step away. I really do want to see you smile—I want to see your real smile. Not the one you wear for show, Jongdae. Am I allowed to be a little selfish with you?”

They’re missing cherry blossoms in the background to make this a perfect anime scene because Jongdae feels like he’s getting asked out when Baekhyun’s simply asking him to open up a little. It all… feels a bit more intimate than it probably is.

Jongdae’s eyes fall down to his lap and it’s almost embarrassing how his answer comes out as a quiet mumble instead of a loudly voiced one. But Baekhyun catches it.

“I’ll be selfish then. I’m going to have you enjoy every single minute you spend with me.”

Maybe Jongdae has always wished to have a friend like that. A friend who would save him when he’s drowning. A friend who would help him when he, himself, has completely given up. His chest swells when he realizes that he might have actually found one.

“Thank you, Baekhyun,” he says with a smile on his face, but really, he’s thanking whoever had left that abandoned litter of cats in his path that day.

—

Nothing really changes between them. It’s clear that they’re friends now, but Jongdae doesn’t feel like Baekhyun’s behavior has become any different. If anything, Baekhyun seems to be even less pushy, but Jongdae might be imagining that.

On one hand, it’s great that he’s finally made a friend, but on the other hand, he doesn’t quite know how to keep Baekhyun around. Once he sees how boring it is to spend time with Jongdae, he might flee and never look back. And then Jongdae will never know how the little kitten is doing.

He stresses about that the entire way to Baekhyun’s house. He’s only dropping by to retrieve his nail clippers for pets, but suddenly his wrist doesn’t want to listen to him when he has to knock on the door.

Wishing to escape the moment, Jongdae takes a step back and looks around.

Everything about Baekhyun’s house screams fancy. Not billionaire kind of fancy, but definitely more expensive than Jongdae could ever dream of affording. The thought weighs him down a bit.

Before Jongdae has a chance to turn on his heel and flee, the door opens and two pairs of eyes peer at him through the gap. He’s too stunned to move a single inch.

A few seconds of absolutely no movement or sound pass before Jongdae finds it in himself to stagger back and Baekhyun pushes the other person out of the way, exhaling a throaty laugh.

“I can’t believe you convinced me he was some sort of a creep, Kyungsoo. It’s just Jongdae. He’s my friend.”

“In my defense, he was standing in front of the door and just looking around instead of ringing the doorbell or knocking on the door. Screams creepy, doesn’t it?”

The other male raises an eyebrow at him and Jongdae offers an awkward smile in exchange, holding his hands up defensively.

“I was just checking if I got the right house. It would be pretty lame to knock on someone else’s door,” he explains himself in a hurry.

They continue staring at one another for a few more moments before Baekhyun snaps out of it and grabs Jongdae’s hand, pulling him inside and urging him to take off his shoes.

Jongdae wasn’t planning on staying at all, so that catches him off guard, leaving him feeling all shy and even more awkward. It doesn’t help that the Kyungsoo guy is staring him down like he’s trying to show his dominance or something and Jongdae just takes a step aside to get away from that.

The one-sided staring contest continues all the way until Jongdae is seated next to Baekhyun with plate of cake in front of him. Something about them celebrating Baekhyun’s cousin’s birthday as that exact cousin is about to burn holes in the side of Jongdae’s head.

Swallowing down all the hindering emotions, Jongdae finally turns his head to face the boy.

“Happy birthday,” he says, all meek and quiet, and Kyungsoo’s stare softens. He mumbles a ‘thank you’ into the sleeve of his hoodie and releases Jongdae from the pressure of being in the center of attention simply by averting his gaze elsewhere.

Baekhyun probably picks up on the weird atmosphere in the house because he sets his hand on Jongdae’s shoulder and gives him a reassuring squeeze.

“Sorry, I should’ve mentioned that Kyungsoo’s gonna be dropping by. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“I don’t,” Jongdae shakes his head and picks up the tiny fork, eager to taste the cake and show that he’s comfortable… even when he’s not. “Should’ve told me about the cake though, I would’ve skipped dinner.”

He pauses, letting the chocolate melt on his tongue.

“Oh, this is delicious! Who picked it?”

Jongdae’s gaze turns towards Kyungsoo as he’s expecting him to raise a hand or admit proudly that the choice was his, but Baekhyun’s voice tugs his attention to the other side, further surprising the man.

“It was me, actually,” Baekhyun laughs and Jongdae stuffs more cake into his mouth out of embarrassment. It wasn’t a good idea to assume that Kyungsoo would be picking his own cake.

“Delicious,” he repeats in between bites.

As Jongdae sits there and wonders what kind of questions to ask so that he could hear Kyungsoo talking and the silence wouldn’t be so deafening, Baekhyun stands up and urges the other boy out of the room, leaving Jongdae on his own.

Or so he thinks until he notices a little black kitten rubbing its head against Jongdae’s feet and suddenly he’s overcome with the urge to put it into his lap and give him tons of head pats, which he does.

The kitten has grown now, previously messy fur now groomed well and the purr it makes seems louder as well. Baekhyun has probably spoiled the cat to oblivion. Upon further inspection, Jongdae notices the same red collar that he had picked back then now secured around the kitten’s neck and there’s a little coin that hangs on it as well.

“Chen,” he reads out loud and flinches when he feels Baekhyun’s hand on his shoulder.

“Ah, yeah. I forgot to tell you. I finally chose a name for him.”

“Don’t scare me like that,” Jongdae snickers as the kitten jumps off his lap, on his way to the water bowl already. “Chen’s a cute name though. I like it.”

“A-ha, watch.”

Then Baekhyun turns and calls the kitten’s name out loud.

The cat stops, turns around to face the both of them, then sits down and presents one of the loudest meows that Jongdae has ever heard. He stares at the furball with wide eyes, wondering just how Baekhyun was able to train him to do that. It would be pretty impressive if either of Jongdae’s cats could do the same.

“Pretty impressive,” Jongdae’s words are followed by a few claps. Then he looks around, confusion evident on his face. “By the way, where’s Kyungsoo?”

“Oh, I sent him home,” Baekhyun explains as the takes a seat next to Jongdae, resting his whole upper body on the table as he stares at Jongdae. “It was awkward as hell, wasn’t it?”

Instead of answering, Jongdae looks away and that action only makes Baekhyun chuckle.

“Too obvious.”

They stay like that for a while with Jongdae glancing at Baekhyun from time to time while he’s poking the empty plate with his fork and Baekhyun heaving a few sighs one after another.

“Can I…”

Jongdae raises an eyebrow when he doesn’t hear the rest of the question.

“Nevermind, forget it.” Baekhyun sits up straight, his eyes shifting to the cat, and Jongdae feels like he has just missed out on something important.

He doesn’t ask what.

“The, uh, nail clippers?” Jongdae eventually inquires and Baekhyun stands up immediately, telling him to wait a few seconds before he finds the thing he had borrowed.

The feeling that something’s not right doesn’t leave Jongdae alone even after he’s left Baekhyun’s house with his nail clippers in hand.

—

Since the last encounter, Jongdae had convinced himself that he needed to stay away from Baekhyun for the time being, so that all the weirdness could be forgotten and would never be brought up again. He just doesn’t know how, after a few days since the trip to Baekhyun’s house, he suddenly has Baekhyun sitting on his couch with a guitar propped in his lap, drumming away various tunes to brighten up the mood between them.

Baekhyun had somehow concluded that Jongdae was upset about Kyungsoo’s uninformed presence at his house and he was determined on making amends for that without even giving Jongdae a chance to explain himself.

It takes three different songs for Baekhyun to finally pick his head up and that’s when Jongdae reaches out to move the guitar from his lap, so the other wouldn’t have anything to preoccupy himself with and further distract them from talking about this.

“So,” Jongdae starts with a sigh, folding his hands together. “This is going to be the most embarrassing confession in my life, but hear me out. I don’t think Kyungsoo’s a bad guy. I just don’t deal well with more than one person at a time. Heck, I don’t even deal with one person well. It’s a mystery how I’m able to get along with you so well.”

A smile tugs on Baekhyun’s cheeks and it’s so obvious how he tries to hide it by biting down on his lip. Jongdae appreciates his attempt at staying serious.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m the biggest introvert in the world.”

“Well, you’d have to fight Kyungsoo for that title,” Baekhyun teases.

The atmosphere between them seems less tense now and Jongdae picks up a pillow, tossing it at Baekhyun for no reason whatsoever. When Jongdae doesn’t say anything, the other male hugs the pillow to himself and speaks up again.

“I’ve noticed. And it really doesn’t bother me. I just didn’t realize how awkward it would be for you and that’s why I’m sorry for putting you through that. I want you to feel comfortable around me.”

“I do feel comfortable around you, you have nothing to apologize for.”

Baekhyun’s words are so sweet and reassuring that Jongdae kind of feels like scooting closer and snuggling up to him. He doesn’t know if his friend would find that weird, but he’s not willing to find out either as he remains in his place.

To his surprise, one of his cats, the grey one, walks over the backrest of the couch and stops to sniff at Baekhyun’s hair curiously. And when she likes the scent, she nuzzles the top of his head, earning a chuckle from the man.

“I think she likes me.”

“She sure does,” Jongdae agrees. “Which is a surprise because she doesn’t even like me that much.”

Baekhyun seems surprised at that. “Wait, really? Even though it’s your cat?”

To prove his words, Jongdae stretches out his hand and rolls up his sleeve just a tad bit to show Baekhyun the long scratch mark left on his skin. It’s not a deep one and probably not one made on purpose, but Baekhyun still gasps at it, reaching out to press his fingers against the healing scar gently.

“Wow, she’s vicious. Does it hurt?”

Jongdae shakes his head and observes Baekhyun silently. When he realizes he wouldn’t mind it if Baekhyun pressed his lips against his hand and wish for the wound to heal faster, he pulls his hand away and looks off to the side. He doesn’t know when that kind of thoughts started invading his mind, but it only happens when he’s with Baekhyun. Nobody else seems to trigger them.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot.”

Jongdae hums to show that he’s listening despite him not being able to maintain eye contact anymore.

“I’ve been invited to a birthday party and I really wanted to go with you since I thought you could use the opportunity to make some more friends, but after this I’m almost sure you won’t go with me. I still wanted to ask you though.”

It’s truly cruel because Jongdae would want to go anywhere with Baekhyun. Anywhere where it’s just the two of them. But another birthday party? Where there’s probably gonna be more people than just Kyungsoo? Jongdae winces at the thought alone.

“I’m sorry,” he says, glancing at his friend apologetically. “I really don’t think I should just dive into a crowd and expect everything to go well, Baekhyun.”

“It’s okay, I understand,” the other reassures him, even going as far as to squeeze his hand for emphasis. “I need to show up and at least give them a present, but if it gets too boring, do you think I could crash at your place then?”

It’s crazy how quickly Jongdae says yes to that.

—

To say that Jongdae was hoping for Baekhyun to get bored at the birthday party would be an understatement. The expectation encouraged him to go out for groceries and cook a simple meal for two. And if Baekhyun doesn’t show up in the end, then he’s just going to stuff himself full and pass out.

Sleep away those feelings… As if that was actually possible.

He’s in the middle of a staring contest with one of his cats when the doorbell rings and Jongdae happily admits defeat just to bolt to open the door. His face falls when he realizes the person standing on his doorstep isn’t Baekhyun, but a neighbor next door. The guy is smiling at him and holding a flyer that Jongdae vaguely remembers spreading across the neighborhood when he had found the homeless kittens, but they’ve found their homes and he’s really not in the mood of dealing with people wanting to adopt a cat.

“Hey! Sorry for bothering you. Do you still have any of these kittens? My sister’s birthday is tomorrow and I was hoping to get her one of these cuties as a present…”

The man doesn’t get to ramble any further because Jongdae lets go of the door he was holding onto and takes a step forward, his face becoming furious in a matter of seconds.

“Cats are living beings. They’re family. You don’t just take one and give them to someone as a birthday present. What if your sister doesn’t like it? Is she just going to throw it away? And if she’s young and her parents are against her having pets? They’re gonna throw the poor thing away and you won’t take any of the blame!”

“Whoa, calm down there—”

“No, don’t tell me to calm down. It’s because of people like you that I found those abandoned kittens in the first place. People like you never take responsibility for your actions!”

There’s so much anger in Jongdae’s veins that he refuses to deal with the neighbor any further, swiftly turning around and shutting the door in his face. Seriously, fuck people who treat animals like things they can just easily toss from one place to another.

One of Jongdae’s cats sticks its head out as though to check up on Jongdae and he immediately feels half of that anger fade when their eyes lock together.

“I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”

Someone knocks on the door again and Jongdae inhales deeply before peeling the door open, clearly irritated that the neighbor still hasn’t given up. It’s been a month since the ads have been placed!

“I don’t have any kittens for you, asshole—”

“Relax,” Baekhyun laughs, glancing behind himself briefly. “I think he gave up on whatever he had in mind. But he did ask me to tell you that you were a twat for not hearing him out properly.”

Jongdae’s shoulders slump in defeat. Not only has he just yelled at Baekhyun, but he also took his anger out on someone who probably had good intentions and had thought ahead enough not to make Jongdae worry about the wellbeing on the kittens. Kittens that he didn’t have, might he add.

“Can I come in?” Baekhyun steps forward before Jongdae even holds the door open for him.

“Yeah, sorry. And I’m sorry for yelling.”

The smell of chili is strong, especially since his apartment isn’t very big, and Baekhyun immediately picks up on it as he steps inside. Jongdae follows him to the kitchen without a word, already worried that his cooking might not be to his friend’s liking.

“Please tell me you made enough for two,” Baekhyun mumbles before he peers into the pot, but once he does, he turns around and gives Jongdae a questioning look. “You were expecting me?”

Jongdae averts his eyes. “Not really, no, I just made enough to last me a few days…”

But when he sees how that seems to affect the mood between them, he decides to tell the truth.

“Who am I kidding? I was expecting you.”

Baekhyun’s facial expression morphs into a smug one. “Never thought I’d hear you say something like that.”

Jongdae resists the desire to roll his eyes.

“And I never thought I’d be saying something like that.”

They sit down to eat and once their bellies are full of food, they decide to crash on the couch and watch a movie. It’s some sort of a romance story where the main character is pushed around by everyone and the other main character wants to save them from the misery, but Jongdae just can’t seem to concentrate on the screen when Baekhyun’s head is in his lap and the man himself lets out a cute chuckle every once in a while. It’s like music to Jongdae’s ears.

He reaches down and runs his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair absentmindedly, wondering why exactly everyone bothers him in one way or another, but Baekhyun’s presence actually calms him down. He’s some sort of an enigma in Jongdae’s life. And while Jongdae wants to figure that out, he’s also scared of what he might uncover if he digs too deep.

Feelings? Uh-oh.

“Is there something on my face?” Baekhyun asks and Jongdae realizes he’s been staring at the male for a bit too long.

“No, I was just lost in thought.”

To his dismay, Baekhyun shifts to sit upright and reaches out to poke Jongdae’s cheek. “What’s on your mind? Are you still bothered by that guy who wanted to adopt a kitten?”

A genuine laugh slips past Jongdae’s lips because he had already forgotten about that encounter.

“Not at all,” he replies, looking anywhere but at his companion. “I was kinda… wondering about you.”

Baekhyun’s eyebrows shift upwards in what seems to be surprise. “Me? What about me?”

The television is long forgotten by now, but it does provide some background noise so that Jongdae doesn’t have to worry about the rate of his heartbeat.

“It’s so easy to be around you. You don’t make me anxious and I don’t have to think about my behavior when we’re spending time together. It feels like you won’t judge me no matter what I might say to you.”

“I might tease you about it though,” Baekhyun adds with a smile and Jongdae finds himself smiling as well.

“You might, but it’s never done in a bad way. You care about me a lot, don’t you?”

The question seems harmless, but the atmosphere around them shifts and Jongdae lifts his eyes to catch Baekhyun’s gaze. No matter how hard he tries to read it, he just can’t figure out what’s on Baekhyun’s mind. It doesn’t seem bad, but he might be wrong.

He’s about to start thinking that it might be something unpleasant after all, but Baekhyun speaks up before Jongdae has the chance for that.

“Do you want to know how much I care about you?”

Jongdae nods slowly, his head void of bad outcomes for once. Stunned into silence, he watches as Baekhyun’s face inches closer. There’s a burning sensation where Baekhyun’s hand is resting on Jongdae’s thigh.

And then it happens.

A pair of soft lips press against Jongdae’s in a manner so gentle that it makes him think he’s imagining it. He’s only ever been kissed by his mother when he was still a child and out of pure inexperience, he forgets to close his eyes. But thanks to that, he gets a peek at Baekhyun’s beautiful lashes fluttering shut as the gap between them closes.

One tiniest kiss that doesn’t even last long and everything inside Jongdae is set on fire by the boy sitting next to him.

“Did you get that?”

Jongdae realizes that he hasn’t given any sort of a reaction, so he immediately scrambles to put his hands on surprised Baekhyun’s cheeks. His mind stops working and lets the body function on its own, fueled by something else.

“Baekhyun, I—”

A hiccup gets caught in his throat, and it’s the perfect pause for Jongdae to think whether he’s ready to make that confession. It could’ve been a platonic kiss and then he would only end up feeling stupid and ashamed of himself.

But Baekhyun’s sitting there, gazing up at him with curious eyes, and Jongdae feels like his heart could burst right there and then.

“Why did you do that?” He asks instead, hoping that his question doesn’t weird the other out. He just wants to get some sort of a confirmation before he drops the big bomb.

“I don’t know…” comes Baekhyun’s reply and Jongdae’s hands slip away from his cheeks. The hesitation in Baekhyun’s voice makes Jongdae’s skin tingle with anxiety and suddenly the words are too heavy on his tongue.

He’s never handled rejection.

He’s not ready to try.

—

The end of the day draws near as the moon climbs higher and the stars attempt to light up the sky even through the clouds. Jongdae is tired after a whole afternoon of running errands for his mother, but at the same time, he’s glad that being busy meant he didn’t have the time to think about various distractions.

It’s when he’s comfortably bundled up in his bed with his cats that his mind wanders to Baekhyun. He wonders how the other has been doing since the visit half a week ago. Baekhyun had left shortly after the brief kiss they shared on Jongdae’s couch. Things had gotten awkward again and Jongdae couldn’t bring himself to text the man. It was weird that Jongdae was thinking of texting him first in the first place because Baekhyun would never leave their chatroom silent for more than two days. If he didn’t have anything to say, he’d at least send a selfie or a picture of his kitten. Jongdae was starting to realize how much he has been missing those conversations.

Turning on his other side after moving both Hissy and Fluffy out of the way, he grabs his phone off the bedside table and squints at the bright screen when it nearly blinds him. Once the brightness has been turned down, he checks the chatroom between him and Baekhyun, but just like he expected, there’s no new messages waiting for him.

He swallows a lump in his throat and reaches out to pet one of his cats in hopes that the gesture brings him courage. It does, a little at least, because Jongdae manages to type up an innocent message, inquiring how Baekhyun’s doing. He had thought about asking about the kitten, but Jongdae doesn’t want Baekhyun to think that they’re friends only because of the fur friend.

The clock in the very corner of his screen shows that it’s almost midnight, but Jongdae knows that Baekhyun likes to stay up. Most of his funny pictures are sent way past two in the morning, but try texting him at ten in the morning and you’ll never get a reply until noon.

The thought makes him smile. If they were living together, Jongdae would have tons of opportunities to make breakfast for the both of them.

As if electrocuted, Jongdae sits up in his bed when he realizes that he’s thinking about Baekhyun and him living together. He doesn’t even spare a glance at poor Hissy who jumps off the bed and finds a new spot on a chair nearby.

He’s about to start thinking that there’s no way to justify his thoughts, but his phone rings in his hand, cutting off that train of thought completely when Jongdae sees Baekhyun’s name on the screen. Confused, he answers the call.

“Hello?”

“Jongdae? Thank goodness you’re still awake.” The voice he hears is full of panic and all the drowsiness from getting ready to sleep is gone in a matter of seconds. “I don’t understand what’s happening! Chen—My kitten—He was fine the entire day, but now he’s wheezing and shaking and I just don’t know what to do. I tried calling the vet, but nobody’s picking up— Jongdae, I don’t know what to do!”

“Stay right there with him! I’ll be there and I’ll try to call someone and see if they can take a look at your kitten. Baekhyun, just stay calm.”

He nearly trips over his own feet while trying to give Baekhyun the instructions and get dressed at the same time. Once Baekhyun’s promised him to be alright until Jongdae arrives, he ends the call and dials another number, a number he hasn’t called in a long time.

“Jongin?” Jongdae perks up when he hears a voice on the other end. “I’m so sorry I haven’t called in forever and I promise I’ll make it up to you, but please, can you help me? My friend’s kitten is sick and all the other vets are already closed. You’re the only one I can turn to at this time.”

There’s a grumble and then he’s given a time frame during which he has to show up at Jongin’s place. Jongdae also attempts to explain what’s happening with the kitten, but Jongin just asks for a short description of the kitten’s state and promises to be prepared to deal with it, whatever it might be.

It takes fifteen minutes for Jongdae to knock on Baekhyun’s door and they’re left with another ten minutes to reach Jongin’s clinic. It’s a lot easier because Baekhyun owns a car and even if he’s in no condition to drive, Jongdae has a license, enabling them to get to the clinic swiftly.

Jongin takes over from there, giving the kitten a thorough examination. The blood tests show vague signs of poison in his still developing system and Baekhyun confesses that he’s been letting the cat wander outside on some days. Jongdae takes the chance to curse cruel neighbors as Baekhyun shakes in fear in his arms.

“Is he going to be okay?” Jongdae’s never heard Baekhyun sound so weak.

Jongin spares a glance at them and a reassuring smile on his face tells them that he knows what he’s doing. “Luckily, the worst is already over. His life isn’t in danger, but I’m gonna ask you to leave the kitten with me for a few days. He needs stay on a drip for a little while, so he can get back on his feet without further complications. It seems like your cat threw up whatever poisoned food he had consumed and that’s the only reason he’s still alive.”

Tears show up in Baekhyun’s eyes as he thanks the vet over and over again for the quick reaction. He asks for Jongin’s number as well, so that he could call him again in case another problem arises, but Jongin just gives Jongdae a look and tells Baekhyun to come with Jongdae in that case.

It then dawns on Jongdae that he probably owes Jongin another explanation on top of all the others.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” he blurts out all of a sudden and immediately feels stupid when two pairs of eyes land on him in confusion. “…If that’s what you assumed.”

Jongin’s the first one to laugh to break the awkwardness. “Sorry! I totally assumed you two were dating. You just seemed so close and comfortable with one another’s presence. Honestly, it’s hard to guess what’s going on in your life ever since you stopped talking to me.”

Something in the room beeps and Baekhyun stands up, holding up his phone. “I’m gonna leave you two alone for a bit. It seems like you have something to talk about. Besides, I need to call Kyungsoo and tell him that Chen’s alright now.”

“So,” Jongin turns to him once Baekhyun’s out of the room. “Will you tell me why you’ve been avoiding me for the past two years?”

Jongdae heaves a sigh, unsure of what to say.

Jongin and him… they go way back. They were childhood friends who went to the same school, spent all the lunch breaks together and graduated with flying colors only for them to part ways when Jongin applied for university and Jongdae didn’t. He had felt so overwhelmed by the pressure to study further when he was around Jongin that he had just decided to distance himself and eventually, lock himself in his home with a pair of cats. Jongin had called and called and even bothered his mother for answers, but Jongdae would just never pick up or respond to any texts even vaguely related to his friend. And by the time Jongin gave up, Jongdae had decided that whatever they had gone through was already in no state to be fixed.

“I don’t know, I guess I was just dumb,” he confesses, eyes glued to one tile in particular. “My grades were great and everyone wanted to see me finishing university and getting a prestigious job, but I just didn’t want to follow that path that everyone else had set out for me. I wanted to find myself.”

Jongin crosses his arms, but his expression doesn’t hold any anger. Perhaps just sadness. “Did you?”

No answer comes. After two years, Jongdae doesn’t even know where to start looking for his real purpose in life. For his little place on Earth where he would feel content and happy. Though he must admit, Baekhyun makes him feel all kinds of new things these days.

“Right, listen.” Jongin picks up some papers and looks down at them, and Jongdae thinks that he’s about to hear more information about the kitten, so he listens intently. “Actually, back in high school, I did have a crush on you and it sort of hurt me a lot when you just disappeared from my life like that. But I’m over that now and after seeing you with, what was his name again?”

“Baekhyun,” Jongdae mumbles.

“Yeah, Baekhyun,” Jongin clears his throat. “After seeing you with him, I realized that we were probably never meant to be together. I don’t know why you’re not dating him yet, but dude, you both have heart eyes for each other.”

It all clicks into place. Baekhyun’s behavior, the kiss, Jongdae’s thoughts about his friend and all the weird urges that Jongdae would never talk about openly. He had refused to dig deeper in case he figured out that he actually had feelings for the other boy, but Jongin did so for him, uncovering a treasure, but a treasure so heavy that he didn’t know how to deal with it.

“Actually, about that—” Jongdae reaches out and tugs on Jongin’s coat, pulling him closer, so he can whisper into his ear. “Baekhyun had kissed me a few days ago and things have been awkward between us since then. I don’t know if I gave him the right response and I don’t know what to do. I’ve never been in a relationship or in love, Jongin.”

Bursting out laughing, Jongin winds an arm around Jongdae’s neck and pulls him down only to mess up his hair. It feels like they’re best friends once again, despite a gap of two years in the history of their friendship.

“Listen, idiot. If you don’t kiss the fuck out of that guy until you come back here to pick up his kitten, I’m never going to forgive you for avoiding me, you get that?”

Cheeks rosy red, Jongdae frees himself from Jongin’s grip and looks at him in horror. “How am I supposed to do that?!”

“Do I need to show you how to kiss now?” Jongin leans in, puckering his lips, and Jongdae pushes at his face furiously.

“I’ll pass on that!”

“What are you guys doing?”

They both turn to face Baekhyun who has just walked in through the door and Jongdae hurriedly scrambles to his feet.

“I think we should head home for tonight. Jongin said he’ll call if there’s any news and you could definitely use the rest,” he reaches up to poke at Baekhyun’s cheek. “Look at those eyebags.”

“Yup, you guys get some sleep,” Jongin agrees, but as soon as Baekhyun turns around to leave and Jongdae is the only one looking at him, he mouths an additional ‘or don’t’ at him with a smirk.

—

They get home rather late, mostly because Jongdae insisted on getting burgers along the way so that Baekhyun wouldn’t fall asleep with an empty stomach, and Baekhyun offers Jongdae to stay at his place for the night. If it’s because it’s too dark outside to be walking alone, Jongdae doesn’t really worry about that. But Baekhyun convinces him that it’s because he wants to stay with someone when his cat isn’t around to keep him company.

Jongdae tries to find himself some fresh sheets or at least a blanket he could cover himself with while sleeping on the couch, but Baekhyun just grabs his hand and drags him to the bedroom where they soon find themselves snug in a huge double bed with Baekhyun clinging to Jongdae’s side like they couldn’t be apart for a single second.

“I feel like I have a fever,” Baekhyun says and Jongdae reaches out to press his hand against Baekhyun’s forehead, eventually just shaking his head.

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“Don’t you know that you’re supposed to check the temperature by pressing your lips to the forehead?” Baekhyun asks with a giggle.

Jongdae feels his chest tightening a bit. Jongin’s words start replaying in his head all of a sudden.

Before he has a chance to say or do something, Baekhyun heaves a sigh and snuggles up to him more. “Thank you for helping me though. I’d be so lost without you. Chen could’ve died, you know.”

“He’s alive and that’s all that matters,” Jongdae reassures him with a gentle pat. He stays silent for a second after that, bracing himself. “Baekhyun, can I ask something?”

There’s a hum instead of a response.

“Can you picture us together?”

Jongdae doesn’t hear an answer, but he feels Baekhyun’s fingers sneaking under his shirt and tickling his sides to the point where he has tears at the corners of his eyes from laughing and struggling so much. And when Baekhyun finally allows him to breathe, Jongdae realizes that Baekhyun’s sitting on top of him, looking down rather deviously.

“It took you so long to notice that I thought I’d drive myself insane trying to hold back the blunt confession,” he exhales and dips down, pressing their lips together for a firm kiss, much more lustful than the one they had shared before.

Jongdae’s hands find their way to Baekhyun’s hips, then sides and he pushes his fingers into them, earning his sweet revenge even if that forces them to break apart. Baekhyun laughs, loud and untamed, and Jongdae finally admits that he’s in love with the sound. He’s in love with everything about Baekhyun and he just doesn’t understand why it took him so long to discover that.

Snaking his arms around Baekhyun’s body, he flips them around and presses Baekhyun into the sheets, generously peppering his beautiful face with kisses until there’s not a single patch of skin left unkissed.

“I’m so dumb, Baekhyun,” Jongdae smiles apologetically. “So dumb and so in love with you.”

“I’m in love with you too,” Baekhyun rewards him with yet another kiss.

They do manage to get some sleep despite the confession and when they have to pick up the kitten that Jongin has successfully nursed back to perfect health, Jongdae makes sure to kiss Baekhyun’s cheek in front of the other, earning a rather scandalous look and a thumbs up right afterwards.

And the three cats find living all together quite fun. Though Chen remains the smartest despite being the youngest, and Hissy and Fluffy now have to share their love with a very special man in Jongdae’s life, but Baekhyun spoiling them makes up for it, so they don’t meow-plain about it much.

**Author's Note:**

> Meow-plaining is the kind of meowing you hear from your cat when you've just given it food, but it demands something more yummy, so you're stuck trying to verbally convince your cat that the food in the bowl is perfectly delicious and that you don't have anything better in the fridge that you just opened for the nth time.
> 
> Sorry for the rushed parts. It's my first time writing another ship. Hope you felt like hugging your pet after reading this!


End file.
